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Absentee Voting Frequently Asked Questions
When does absentee
voting start?
The Probate Judge is required by law to provide ballots and supplies to the Absentee
Election Manager 40 days before an election.
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What are the qualifications for
obtaining an absentee ballot?
QUALIFICATIONS FOR A TRADITIONAL ABSENTEE BALLOT ยง17-10-3, Code of Alabama
- The voter will be out of the county or state on election day.
- The voter is physically incapacitated and will not be able to vote in person on
election day.
- The voter works a shift which has at least (10) hours that coincide with the polling
hours at their regular polling place.
- The voter is a student at and educational institution located outside the county
of their permanent residence; and are, therefore, unable to vote at their usual
polling place on election day.
- The voter is a member of, or a spouse of a member of, the armed forces of the United
States or are otherwise entitled to vote by absentee pursuant the Uniformed and
Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 42, U.S.C. 1973ff.
- The voter has been appointed as an election officer at a polling place which is
not their regular polling place.
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Am I eligible to vote absentee?
If you are registered to vote in Cherokee County and meet one of the above requirements,
then you are eligible. If you are not registered to vote in Cherokee County, you
will need to contact the Board of Registrars at (256) 927-5336
to register. By law
the cut-off date to register to be eligible to vote in an upcoming election is 10
days before the election. You can download a voter registration form
here. It should
be mailed to the Board of Registrars at 260 Cedar Bluff Road, Centre, Alabama 35960.
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How do I apply
for an absentee ballot?
You can call Dwayne Amos, Absentee Election Manager at (256) 927-3637
or come by and pick up an application at room 203 at the Cherokee County Courthouse, Centre,
AL 35960. You can also download the form available in the AlabamaVotes.gov. Absentee Voting Files
PLEASE READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU FILL OUT AND MAIL
IN YOUR APPLICATION.
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Where do I mail
the application?
The application must be mailed to: Dwayne Amos, Absentee Election Manager, 100 Main
Street, Room 203, Centre, AL 35960.
By law ( AG Opinion 82-551), each application
must be mailed in a separate envelope.
Multiple applications (even for husband and
wife) which are mailed in the same envelope will be returned to the voter. Applications
cannot be faxed to the Absentee Election Manager. For voter applications and absentee applications visit: AlabamaVotes.gov.
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What is the deadline
for voting absentee?
The cut-off date is 5 days before an election. Since elections are typically held
on a Tuesday, this would be on the preceding Thursday. Your application must be
received in the office on or before this date for me to be able to mail you a ballot,
or you can vote in person at the office of the Absentee Election Manager through
Thursday.
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What if my application
is postmarked Thursday?
Your application must physically be in the Absentee Election Manager's office on
Thursday. That is the cut-off date for mailing a ballot.
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Can I vote absentee
in person?
Yes, you can come by the Absentee Election Manager's office Monday through Friday
8:00AM - 4:00PM (except on holidays) and make application and vote while you
are in the office. The cut-off date is Thursday (five days before an election).
The address is room 203 at the Cherokee County Courthouse, Centre, AL.
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Do I need an ID
to vote absentee?
Yes, you will need to present one of the following forms of ID before you can vote:
- Current, Valid Photo Identification
- Employee identification for employee with photo of employee produced by the employer
- Photo identification card issued by Alabama college or university.
- Photo identification issued from Alabama technical or professional school (current
and valid).
OR
- One of the following:
- Utility bill of voter with voter's name and address.
- Bank statement with voter's name and address.
- Government check with voter's name and address.
- Paycheck with voter's name and address.
- Valid identification card (authorized by law) issued by the State of Alabama (including
any branch, department, agency, or entity of the State of Alabama).
- Valid identification card (authorized by law) issued by any of the other 49 states
(including any branch, department, agency, or entity of that State).
- Valid identification card (authorized by law) issued by the government of the United
States of America (including any branch, department, agency, or entity of the federal
government).
- Valid United States passport.
- Valid Alabama hunting license.
- Valid Alabama fishing license. Valid Alabama pistol/revolver permit.
- Valid pilot's license issued by the FAA or other authorized agency of the federal
government.
- Valid United States military identification.
- Birth certificate (certified copy).
- Valid Social Security card.
- Naturalization document (certified copy).
- Court record of adoption (certified copy).
- Court record of name change (certified copy).
- Valid Medicaid card.
- Valid Medicare card.
- Valid electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card.
- Government document that shows the name and address of the voter.
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If I am voting absentee by mail,
when do I send
in the copy of my ID?
After you make application, you will receive your ballot and supplies. You will
need to send a copy of your ID at that time. Please read your instructions carefully
as to how it is to be returned. Do
not seal up your ID in either one of the white envelopes.
Your ID should be placed inside the brown return envelope.
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How do I find out where my voting
precinct is?
You can call the Cherokee County Board of Registrars at (256) 927-5336
for information on your voting precinct. A general precinct map is also available on the website.
This map is without landmarks and labeled roads. If you are unsure which precinct
you are in, call the Cherokee County Board of Registrars.
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Does my absentee ballot have to be witnessed or
notarized?
Yes, by law, your ballot must either be notarized OR witnessed by two people 18
years of age or older. These may be other family members. If your ballot has not
been notarized or witnessed by 2 people, it will not be counted.
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I have a relative serving in the military, how
can they vote absentee?
They need to contact the military voting assistance officer and request Standard
Form 76-A which is a Federal Post Card Absentee Ballot Request. It is postage pre-paid.
These applications are good for 2 federal election cycles, so once this application
is received, the applicant will automatically be mailed a ballot for upcoming elections
they are eligible to vote in. For more information, go to fvap.gov. You can
also download an Absentee Ballot Application from this website. The Absentee Election
Manager should be notified if there is a change of address of military voter between
elections. Since Form 76-A is good for 4 years, this is important in getting their
ballot to the correct address. Unless we are otherwise notified, ballots will be
mailed to the same address for 4 years. At this time, Alabama law,AG Opinion 04-209,
does not allow voting by either fax or e-mail by military personnel.
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I have power-of-attorney for a relative, can I vote for them?
No, at this time the law (AG Opinion 84-359) does not allow a person to vote for
someone else.
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I have moved since the last election,
how will this affect my being able to vote absentee?
You need to get in touch with the Board of Registrars at (256) 927-5336
and update your address. If I receive your application and the residence address is different
than what is on file with the Board of Registrars, you will have to vote a Provisional
Ballot.
Do I have to file a new application
for every election?
The law states that any elections which are 30 days apart, must have a new application
(except military absentee applications).
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What if I find out after the Thursday
afternoon deadline that I have to go out of the county for employment reasons?
The law provides for a voter to vote business emergency if you find out after the
Thursday deadline that you have to go out of the county or state for business reasons.
You can go to the Absentee Election Manager's Office and vote in person
on Thursday
and Monday before the Tuesday election. (Unless either of these two days is a federal/state
holiday).
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Must I declare a particular party
to vote?
To vote in the Primary Election, you must designate the party which you wish to
receive a ballot for. You cannot vote a Republican
and a Democrat ballot. In the General Election in November, you can vote for candidates from any of the parties
on the ballot.
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Who do I contact to vote absentee
in city elections?
You need to call your city clerk at the city hall in the municipality you live in.
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